EcoWaste Coalition is a public interest network of community, church, school, environmental and health groups pursuing sustainable solutions
to waste, climate change and chemical issues facing the Philippines and the world.

30 March 2016

Finding their views on environmental concerns at the last
presidential debate in Cebu wanting, a watchdog group today asked aspiring
successors of President Benigno S. Aquino III to tell the public how really green,
or grey, they are.

The EcoWaste Coalition, a member of the electoral advocacy group Green Thumb
Coalition, has prepared nine questions on some of the burning issues pertaining
to wastes and toxics for the presidential hopefuls to ponder and answer.

Among the issues covered were the closure of illegal dumpsites, the violation
of the ban on waste incineration, the Canadian garbage scandal, the need for
safe and secured jobs for the informal waste sector, the “plasticization” of
the oceans, the health and environmental threats from e-waste, cadmium
pollution, publicly access to environmental data from industrial facilities and
the ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

“By asking these questions, we hope to draw out the
candidates’ views, as well as solutions, on some of the ‘hot’ waste and toxic
issues facing our nation today,” said Aileen Lucero, Coordinator, EcoWaste
Coalition.

“The time and space limits of the presidential debate may have restricted the
panellists from asking these questions and hindered the candidates from delving
on them,” she noted.

“This is a good opportunity for the presidential contenders to communicate to
the voters how green or grey they are, and we hope they will respond on or
before April 7,” she added.

Below are the questions sent by the EcoWaste Coalition to the presidential bets
via e-mail:

1. The Ombudsman
is investigating complaints against 50 local government units for their failure
to close garbage dumpsites as required by Republic Act 9003, the Ecological
Solid Waste Management Act. What
will you do in your first 100 days to promote and secure LGU compliance to R.A.
9003, particularly with respect to the closure and rehabilitation of dumpsites?

2. R.A. 8749, the Clean Air Act of 1999
and R.A. 9003, the Ecological Solid
Waste Management Act of 2000 both prohibit waste incineration in the Philippines.However, the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources continuously circumvents this prohibition (a) by coming up
with a department order that allowed cement manufacturers to burn pelletized
mixed waste in their plants, and now (b) by drafting a guideline for allowing
burning waste-to-energy facilities.If
you are elected president, what steps would you take in your first 100 days to
stem this continuing violation of the incineration ban under R.A. 8749 and R.A.
9003? What possible initiatives would
you advance in order to strengthen both laws?

3. Between
2013-2014, a total of 103 shipping containers of mixed household garbage
disguised as scrap plastics for recycling were illegally imported from
Canada.Twenty six of these garbage-filled
containers were unlawfully disposed of at a landfill in Tarlac in 2015 until
halted by angry citizens and officials.If
you get elected as President, what action will you do during your first 100
days in office to ensure that the illegal waste shipments from Canada are sent
back? What will you do to ensure that
such appalling dumping incident does not ever happen again? Will you support the rapid ratification of
the Basel Ban Amendment?

4. The informal waste sector contributes tremendously to
the reduction of wastes hauled to waste disposal facilities by painstakingly
recovering useful discards that can be recycled and returned to commerce. What is your program to ensure that waste
workers are duly recognized for such positive contributions to the environment
and the economy, and are provided with safe and secured jobs?

5. A study
released at the recent World Economic Forum warns that there will be more
plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050 unless we turn the tide. This is a disturbing scenario for a
fish-eating country like the Philippines where fishing is also a major source
of livelihood. What policy measures will your
administration take to stop the “plasticization” of the oceans? For instance, will you support a nationwide
ban on single-use plastic bags? Will
you support a ban on plastic microbeads in cosmetic and personal care products?

6. The increasing
volume of waste electrical and electronic equipment, popularly known as
e-waste, is a growing problem in the Philippines and other low and middle
income countries given the toxicity of this waste stream and the lack of a
system to ensure their environmentally sound management. How will your administration deal with the
need to reduce the health and environmental impacts of e-waste?

7. The EcoWaste
Coalition has detected toxic cadmium in campaign tarpaulins at levels that
exceed the European Union’s limit for cadmium in plastics. Used cadmium-laden tarps are often sent to
dumpsites and landfills for disposal. What
do you plan to do to ensure that the ubiquitous plastic tarpaulins do not
contribute to cadmium pollution that is detrimental to human health and the
ecosystems?

8.During the last
several years, the mass media reported about chemical-related explosions,
fires, emissions and spills from industrial facilities affecting workers and
surrounding communities. Would you support a mandatory system that will require
industrial and other facilities to provide accessible environmental data to the
general public.Will you support the adoption of
a Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) policy in line with the
public's right to know? Will you
encourage and support industry switch to clean production practices?

9. The Philippines signed the Minamata
Convention on Mercury in October 2013, but has yet to ratify this important
global treaty that aims to prevent and reduce mercury pollution from human
activities. To date, 25 countries, including Japan and USA, have ratified
it.50 ratifications are required for
the treaty to enter into force.If
elected as President, will you commit to promoting the ratification of the
Minamata Convention in your first 100 days in office?

A waste and
pollution watchdog asked local candidates for the May 9 polls to ensure that their
proclamation rallies and other campaign activities are garbage-free.

The EcoWaste Coalition reiterated its push for eco-friendly campaigning
activities after witnessing the unabashed littering at separate rallies held
yesterday in Manila to proclaim the candidacy of re-electionist Mayor Joseph
Estrada and former Mayor Alfredo Lim.

“There is no justification for turning our parks and streets into dumping
grounds. It’s totally unacceptable for
us to litter even in the exercise of our democratic rights. It’s not right even if we know that street
cleaners will pick up after us without complaining,” she pointed out.

“It’s not too late for well-meaning candidates to literally clean up their
campaign sorties. They should use their
moral influence to request their supporters to mind their garbage,” she added.

“The public should be constantly reminded not to drop any litter and every
rally should end with a clean-up led by the candidates themselves,” she
suggested.

“We found Styrofoam containers for dinner given to supporters scattered all
over the place,” lamented Lucero.

Over at Plaza Miranda, some supporters of the Daang Matuwid Coalition in yellow
shirts also littered the place with campaign materials.

“While not as ‘bad’ as the trashing of the bigger rally in Liwasang Bonifacio,
it’s still littering and unacceptable just the same. The throwing of yellow confetti towards the
end of the program only added to the mess,” Lucero said.

The EcoWaste Coalition urged all candidates and their camps to apply the following
5Rs towards eco-friendly campaigning:

1. REDUCE
trash by not littering and not using campaign materials that are barely reused
or recycled.

The EcoWaste Coalition appealed to the Commission on Elections, Department of
Environment and Natural Resources and Department of Interior and Local
Government to step up the drive for election trash reduction.

Dubbed as the “Basura-Free Election 2016,” the government-led drive seeks to promote
compliance to Republic Act 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, by
all political parties and party list groups and their candidates and supporters
in the course of the campaign

28 March 2016

Two
environmental groups have joined forces to ask candidates for the impending polls
to spare defenseless trees as the electoral campaign goes full blast across the
country.

Through a joint statement, the EcoWaste Coalition and National Coalition to
Save the Trees (NCST) appealed to national and local candidates “not to commit further
torture on trees by nailing, pinning and tacking campaign materials on them.”

“These acts of torture could stress out the trees and make them susceptible to decay-causing
microorganisms, injurious insects and diseases leading to stunted growth, shorter
lifespan and early death,” said Father Robert Reyes, Chairperson, NCST.

“We need trees to supply us and other animals with clean air to breathe, to prevent
deadly landslides and floods, and to protect us from global warming and climate
change.Please don’t hurt the trees to
advance your political agenda,” he said.

“Poll candidates might claim they are not the ones committing these acts of
torture on trees and pin the blame solely on their supporters,” noted Aileen
Lucero, Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“That is a lame excuse and unacceptable.Politicians have the responsibility to ensure that their campaign does
not in any way harm trees and Mother Earth,” she emphasized.

Under the said resolution, campaign materials should not be posted in public
structures, schools, bridges, center islands, transportation terminals, waiting
sheds, electric posts and wires, trees and other unauthorized places.

Harming trees also goes against Republic Act 3571, which prohibits the
“cutting, destroying or injuring of planted or growing trees, flowering plants
and shrubs or plants of scenic value along public roads, in plazas, parks,
school premises or in any other public ground.”

To prevent and reduce the adverse
environmental impacts of electoral activities, the EcoWaste Coalition urged all
political aspirants and their camps to apply the following 5Rs towards
eco-friendly campaigning.

1. RESPECT the trees by keeping them
poster-free.

2. REFUSE overspending for campaign advertisements and materials.

3. REDUCE trash by not using campaign stuff that
are barely reused or recycled such as balloons, buntings, confetti and sample
ballots.

The group likewise urged the COMELEC, the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources and the Department of Interior and Local Government to intensify the “Basura-Free
Election 2016” drive.

The drive seeks to promote compliance to Republic Act 9003, the Ecological
Solid Waste Management Act, during and after the election campaign by all political
parties and party list groups and their candidates and backers.

27 March 2016

The EcoWaste Coalition asked this question after a US-based consumer health
watchdog last March 23 reported finding higher than normal levels of cadmium
and lead in 35 of 50 chocolate products tested, including Easter chocolate
bunnies and eggs.

“We ask this question not to create panic among chocolate-loving Filipinos, but
to encourage consumer safety groups from both the public and private sectors to
have products randomly purchased and tested for toxic metals and other
contaminants,” said Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s
Project Protect, which seeks to safeguard the public from harmful chemicals,
products and wastes.

“Vigilant compliance monitoring will surely promote company adherence to good
manufacturing practices, contribute to food quality and safety and protect
consumer health,” he said.

As You Sow, which is based in Oakland, California, explained that “cadmium and
lead may contaminate the chocolate product at many points through the ‘bean to
bar’ process; these sources may depend on the cacao growing, fermenting,
processing, manufacturing, shipping, and packaging practices.”

Based on tests conducted by independent laboratories, the cadmium and lead
levels found in the 35 chocolate products obtained by As You Sow from retailers
across the state were above the levels set by California’s Safe Drinking Water
and Toxic Enforcement Act. Both lead
and cadmium are listed under this law as reproductive toxins.

The said law, also known as Proposition 65, requires manufacturers to put a
warning label if a product contains chemicals known to cause cancer, birth
defects or other reproductive harm above the safe harbor level established by
California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. With the warning
label, consumers can make an informed decision if they want to buy or use the
product.

None of the 35 chocolate products studied by As You Sow that had high cadmium
and lead levels provided legally required warning to consumers.

To help enforce the labeling requirement under Proposition 65, As You Sow filed
legal notices against the chocolate manufacturers.

“Lead exposure is associated with neurological impairment, such as
learning disabilities and decreased IQ, even at very low levels. In fact, there
is no safe level of lead for children,” said Eleanne van Vliet, MPH, As You
Sow’s Environmental Health Consultant.

“As underscored by the Flint disaster, humans have contaminated our environment
with lead, and now we must do everything in our power to protect ourselves and
children, who are the most vulnerable of us, from every possible exposure,”
said Sean Palfrey, MD, a pediatrician and Professor of Pediatrics and Public
Health at Boston University School of Medicine.

The “Flint disaster” refers to the lead contamination of drinking water in Flint,
Michigan, which could have exposed up to 12,000 children to drinking water with
high levels of lead, the EcoWaste Coalition explained.

As You Sow pointed out that “lead is
linked to a variety of neurological impairments, including learning disabilities,
seizures, and a lower IQ.” It stressed
that “developing fetuses and children are especially vulnerable to lead
exposure because their brains are in critical growth and development stages.”

“Cadmium can cause damage to the
kidney, liver, and bones, while also impairing neurobehavioral development,” it
added.

“Lead and cadmium
accumulate in the body, so avoiding exposure is important, especially for
children,” said Danielle Fugere, As You Sow President.

“Our goal is to work with chocolate manufacturers to find ways to avoid these
metals in their products,” she added.

25 March 2016

The
environmental watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition bewailed the dismal failure of
many Lenten pilgrims to put the familiar saying “cleanliness is next to
godliness” into practice.

The group cited the chronic littering that again sullied the roads leading to
the Antipolo Cathedral that enshrines the revered Marian image of the Our Lady
of Peace and Good Voyage.

“For the nth year, littering reared its ugly head as tens of thousands of
people braved searing heat on Maundy Thursday to perform their penitential
‘Alay-Lakad’ to Antipolo City,” lamented Aileen Lucero, Coordinator, EcoWaste
Coalition.

“Litterbugs had a field day tossing all types of rubbish from cigarette butts,
snack wrappers, plastic bags and bottles, paper cups and bowls to bamboo skewers
and coconut fronds,” she said.

The places were pilgrims flocked to rest, particularly the open spaces fronting
shopping malls and convenience stores and street gutters, were dotted with
litter.

“Even the hallowed grounds of the Antipolo Cathedral were not spared,” she
said.

At daybreak on Good Friday, the group found the church environs and the M.L.
Quezon and P. Oliveros Streets strewn with soiled newspapers and other discards. Photos of the littered church and its
vicinity can be viewed at http://ecowastecoalition.blogspot.com

“It’s time for the faithful to seriously take to heart what Pope Francis said
in Laudato Si that ‘the earth, our
home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth’ and
ditch the dumping habit,” Lucero said.

“Dumping defiles the environment and threatens the public health,” she
emphasized.

While exasperated by the apparent lack of environmental concern of some
pilgrims, the EcoWaste Coalition did not fail to admire the street cleaners from
the Antipolo City Environment and Waste Management Office, who patiently picked
up after the litterbugs.

“The city proper would have become a pigsty if not for the 24-hour round the clock
sweeping by the city personnel,” Lucero said.

The group likewise applauded the dozens of waste pickers who collected discarded
plastic bottles and boxes to sell to junk shops.

“Their oft-ignored service for the environment has, among other things, reduced
the volume of trash sent to the dump,” Lucero pointed out.

Meanwhile, the EcoWaste Coalition scored the numerous election campaign posters
from national and local politicians and party list groups that were attached to
fences and lamp posts or plastered on the walls along Ortigas Avenue Extension
and Juan Sumulong Highway.

“The political tarpaulins appeared to be competing for the pilgrims’
attention,” Lucero observed.

“While the candidates were not physically present, their posters were all over
the streets and doing exactly the campaigning for them,” she said.

23 March 2016

Citizen
advocates for chemical safety and zero waste today staged a “Lenten Walk for
Mother Earth” to dramatize the adverse impacts of garbage dumping on the
ecosystems.

On
Holy Wednesday, members of the EcoWaste Coalition and ‘running priest’ Fr.
Robert Reyes, took a solemn walk from the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources to the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City.

A volunteer carrying a big
wooden cross on his shoulders led the walk under the scorching sun, followed by
over 80 participants, many of whom donned black veils and held banners and
placards with pro-environment messages, including excerpts from Laudato Si of
Pope Francis that says: “The earth, our home, is beginning to look more
and more like an immense pile of filth.”

“The cross symbolizes the
suffering of our dear Mother Earth due to the failure of many localities to
close, clean up and rehabilitate polluting dumpsites across the country,” said
Father Robert Reyes, OFM.

“The cross also represents our collective
hope that ecological stewardship will triumph over the culture of waste and
apathy that is defiling and killing God’s creation,” he added.

“By staging this walk, we
proclaim the need to end this daily ‘crucifixion’ of Mother Earth in our
throw-away society by closing the dumps and adopting practices that prevent and
reduce the generation of trash,” she emphasized.

“Specifically, we hold this
walk to urge the Filipino nation to rally behind the Office of the Ombudsman in
its earnest efforts to protect the environment from open dumping by holding
erring officials accountable,” she further said.

In response, Ombudsman Conchita
Carpio Morales assured EcoWaste Coalition officers that “the Environmental
Ombudsman team of investigators and prosecutors are working double time to
ensure that the complaints filed by the National Solid Waste Management
Coalition (NSWMC) are acted upon to protect our ecosystems from the negative impact
of illegal dumping activities.”

It
will be recalled that last March 11, the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon and
Environmental Ombudsman Gerard A. Mosquera ordered more than 300 local
government officials to submit an explanation on the complaints. The local officials were given a non-extendible
period of 30 days to reply and submit their Safe Closure and Rehabilitation
Plan (SCRP) that must include a proposal to immediately close open dumpsites.

This
order came at the heels of the filing of 50 complaints by the NSWMC for
violation of R.A. No. 9003 last February 10 against 600 local government
officials from 13 administrative regions. The law mandated the closure of open
and controlled dumpsites from 2004 to 2006. The
complaints were signed by NSWMC Commissioner Romeo Hidalgo, a representative of
civil society in the commission and a member of EcoWaste Coalition.

In anticipation of the start
of the official campaign period for local elective officials, the EcoWaste
Coalition urged aspiring leaders to put zero waste resource management at the
center of their electoral platforms.

“We call upon all candidates
for local positions to pay serious attention to the urgency of enforcing R.A.
9003 and building zero waste communities to reduce the volume and toxicity of
garbage, save resources, cut back on pollution, create green livelihood, and
safeguard the environment and the climate,” Lucero said.

The NSWMC projects waste
generation for 2016 to hit 9,213 tons per day in Metro Manila and 40,087 tons
per day nationwide. ###

21 March 2016

Two environmental and health
organizations today urged the faithful to make their observance of Lent this
year litter-free, as well as smoke-free.

Through a joint press release, the EcoWaste Coalition and the Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance, Philippines (FCAP) said that preventing
litter and smoke during the Holy Week and beyond is good for the health and the
environment.

“We appeal to the faithful to aim for zero litter as they recall the passion of
Christ, seek forgiveness for past sins and renew their faith through various
rites during the Holy Week,” said Aileen Lucero, Coordinator, EcoWaste
Coalition.

“Please avoid all forms of littering when you go on pilgrimage to churches and
shrines and participate in Via Crucis
(Way of the Cross) and Santo Entierro
(Holy Interment) processions and the Easter Sunday pre-dawn Salubong re-enacting the meeting of the
Risen Christ with Virgin Mary,” she said.

The group expressed its hope that the penitential walk to Antipolo City on
Maundy Thursday will not again be tarnished by litterbugs who leave a carpet of
trash along the route year in and year out.

“We urge the faithful to turn away from cigarette smoking for their health and
well-being,” said Dr. Maria Encarnita Limpin, Executive Director, FCAP.

“Please don’t pollute the Holy Week activities, including the Alay Lakad, Pabasa and the processions,
with hazardous smoke that can put your health and the health of those around
you at risk,” she said.

“We further advise those who are into e-cigarettes not to smoke in public as
this can expose other people to secondhand emissions. Some studies have detected carcinogenic
substances like benzene, formaldehyde and tobacco-specific nitrosamines from
such emissions,” Limpin, who is also a regent at the Philippine College of
Physicians, added.

Both the EcoWaste Coalition and FCAP enjoined national and local government
agencies to fully enforce the relevant prohibitions against littering and
smoking under Republic Act 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, and
Republic Act 9211, the Tobacco Regulation Act, respectively.

20 March 2016

An
environmental watchdog group today sought the cooperation of Metro Manila inhabitants
in keeping all waterways trash-free ahead of the observance of the World Water
Day on March 22.

The EcoWaste Coalition directed its appeal for proper discards management to households
and businesses situated along the rivers and drainage canals, or esteros, crisscrossing the 17 local
government units comprising the National Capital Region.

At the same time, the group urged national and local candidates for the May 9
polls to espouse sustainable solutions that will protect the country’s water
resources from chemical and waste dumping and other damaging human activities.

“We request our city dwellers, especially those with houses by the rivers and
canals, to cooperate with the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and
concerned local government units (LGUs) in protecting our waterways from
garbage,” said Aileen Lucero, Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“Throwing trash into the streets, storm drains, creeks and rivers is unethical
and unlawful,” she emphasized.

Republic Act 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, lists the dumping
of waste matters in public places as a prohibited act punishable by a fine of
P300 to P1,000, or one to 15-day community service, or both.

In spite of the legal prohibition, illegal waste disposal goes on unabated,
Lucero complained, citing the 288 truckloads of garbage and silt, approximately
2,989 cubic meters, that were removed by the MMDA from five of the 273 esteros
and sewers in the metropolis during the agency’s “Estero Blitz” program that
started on March 1.

“Among other major impacts, indiscriminate trash disposal increases flooding
events that can pose serious hazard to life and property” Lucero said.

“By properly managing our discards, we prevent trash from getting into the
drainage systems, blocking the drains and ultimately clogging creeks and rivers
and hampering the free flow of water, which can aggravate floods and other
water-related disasters,” she said.

With the general polls fast approaching, the EcoWaste Coalition challenged
candidates running for national and local elective positions to make water
protection an important aspect of their electoral platforms.

“As it is a crucial component of any program geared at attaining sustainable
development, we find it essential for our aspiring political leaders to tackle water
and sanitation issues and solutions for the benefit of all,” the EcoWaste
Coalition said.

17 March 2016

The EcoWaste
Coalition, an environmental and health watchdog group in the Philippines, has
lauded the government of Thailand for issuing a mandatory regulation in enamel
paints that will protect children in Thailand and the ASEAN region against lead
exposure.

Effective January 2017, all enamel paints used for construction and decorative
purposes which are manufactured or sold in Thailand must contain no more than
0.01 % (or 100 parts per million) lead, mercury and cadmium in dry weight, and must not exceed 0.1% (1,000 ppm)
hexavalent chromium (dry weight).

In addition, all enamel paints manufactured or sold in Thailand will be
required to show a warning label about potential dangers from the product, for
example, “contains toxic substance” or “keep away from children.”

“We consider this a very important step in pushing for health-protective
regulation in paints as countries in the ASEAN region move towards increased
economic cooperation and integration,” declared Sonia Mendoza, President,
EcoWaste Coalition.

“We congratulate the Thai authorities for taking action and commend the civil
society campaign led by the Ecological Recovery and Alert-Thailand (EARTH) for
their dynamic advocacy to make this happen with support from various
collaborators,” she said.

“Our steadfast multi-stakeholder effort in the Philippines to regulate lead in
paints could have possibly encouraged Thailand to switch from voluntary to mandatory
regulation,” she noted.

The Thai Department of Foreign Trade in February 2015 issued a statement
alerting Thai manufacturers that “the Philippines values public health and
safety” and that Thai paint manufacturers “should continuously improve the
quality of their products” because Thailand exports as much as 616 million baht
in paint products and varnishes to the Philippines each year, the EcoWaste
Coalition recalled.

The DENR A.O. 2013-24 signed by Environment and Natural Resources Secretary
Ramon J.P. Paje provides for a 90 ppm limit for lead in paint and establishes a
phase out period for leaded architectural, decorative and household paints by
January 2017, and leaded industrial paints by January 2019.

“We hope other ASEAN countries will decisively
act and follow suit to ensure that paints produced, traded, sold and used in
the region are safe from toxic lead, which can cause serious harm, especially
to young children,” Mendoza said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “lead is a cumulative
toxicant that has harmful effects on multiple body systems” and that “there is no
known level of lead exposure that is considered safe, ” especially for the
unborn babies and young children.

Out of the 10 member states and two observer states of the ASEAN, only three –
Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – have regulations controlling lead in
paints, particularly oil-based decorative paints.

“The Thai regulation will be beneficial for children in other countries because
many Thailand-based manufacturers are major exporters of
paint products, particularly in the ASEAN region,” stated Penchom Saetang, Director, EARTH.

“We hope that all manufacturers will comply with this new regulation to reduce
the future burden on public health from long-lasting environmental
contamination from leaded paint,” she said.

EARTH and the EcoWaste Coalition spearheaded the civil society campaign to get
lead out of paints in Thailand and the Philippines as part of the IPEN Asian
Lead Paint Elimination Project assisted by the European Union.

EARTH and the EcoWaste Coalition are contributing members of GAELP, a
cooperative initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme and WHO,
and are members as well of IPEN, a global civil society organization promoting
safe chemicals policies and practices that protect human health and the
environment.

15 March 2016

A watchdog group for consumer safety and environmental
health exhorted candidates for the May 9 polls to disclose to the electorate
what they plan to do to protect the rights of every Juan and Juana de la Cruz
as consumers.

As the World Consumer Rights Day is observed today, March
15, the EcoWaste Coalition pressed all political aspirants to come up with a “Consumer
Protection Agenda” that will address the key needs of Filipino consumers.

“We expect those running for public elective positions to
instigate measures that will advance the eight basic rights of consumers,
especially the deprived and the poor,” said Aileen Lucero, Coordinator,
EcoWaste Coalition, a member of the Green Thumb Coalition.

These rights, as articulated by global consumer movement,
include the right to the satisfaction of basic needs, the right to safety, the right
to be informed, the right to choose, the right to be heard, the

right to redress, the right to consumer education and the
right to a healthy environment.

Zeroing on the right to a healthy environment, the group
expressed its hope that poll candidates will come on strong in asserting the citizens’
right to clean air, safe water, renewable energy sources,

and waste-free, toxic-free ecosystems.

“We also hope that those running for Congressional or
Senate seats will support amendments to strengthen the Consumer Act of the Philippines,
as well as file other bills to localize the United

Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection (UNGCP),”
Lucero said.

“Stronger consumer protection laws will prevent market
abuse, ensure fair play and justice, and
safeguard the public health and the environment,” she said.

Like the Department of Trade and Industry, the EcoWaste
Coalition welcomed the adoption by the UN General Assembly last December 2015
of the revised UNGCP, which among other things, acknowledged “access to essential goods and services, and the
protection of vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers as new consumer
legitimate needs.”

According to Consumers International, “adequate consumer
protection can directly support the
achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals relating to ending hunger and improving
nutrition by supporting access to safe,
affordable and healthy diets; to health and well-being by protecting consumers from unsafe products
that cause illness or injury and
expanding access to effective pharmaceuticals.”

About Me

is a public interest network of community, church, school, environmental and health groups pursuing sustainable solutions to waste, climate change and chemical issues facing the Philippines and the world.